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Article from issue 3/2004 »Konzept Shops and Retailling«

Carlos Miele Flagship Store in New York

typology p. 168 - 169
Architect Asymptote Architecture | Structural Engineer Chaszar, Andre Thomas |

Drafts
1:10,000 Site plan
1:250 Floor Plan/Sections

In June 2003, the Brazilian fashion designer Carlos Miele opened his first flagship store in West Manhattan's 14th Street. The shop is located in a heterogeneous environment, surrounded by industrial buildings, galleries and shops. The spatial design is an expression of Miele's own philosophy.
Although the cubic form of the structure can be perceived in the facade, it is masked within the shop by a large-scale sculptural installation that dissolves the boundaries between walls, floor and ceiling. The restrained coloration and the changing reflections in the gleaming surfaces evoke a fluid, almost mouldable, sense of space. This dematerialized ambience serves to focus attention on the material nature of the objects on sale. Through the union of architecture, art and fashion a symbiosis is created that elevates the articles of clothing above the level of mere consumer goods and invests the location with an additional cultural value.